Lighthouses
by EvaMawesome7
Summary: Two people, stranded - can they meet?


**Lighthouses**

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**Pairing: **Callie & Arizona

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Grey's Anatomy and/or any of the characters in it. All rights belong to ABC, the producers of Grey's Anatomy and Shonda Rhimes. I make no claim over any brands, books, movies, songs etc. mentioned in this story.

**Made for entertainment purposes only.**

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Chapter 1

There are cold nights. There are warm nights. And then there are the rainy ones. However, the nights which are neither – those are the strangest of all.

Tonight was strange, definitely. Although, she wondered, is it really so strange if it happens all the time? She came here every year on this day, _every_ year for 10 years. And it felt the same – _strange _.

The Hudson is beautiful at night. Well it's beautiful all the time. But things always seem lovelier at night.

It was late, not too late, just the perfect kind - where the crowd walking past you has dwindled into scattered couples huddling together battling off the cold, where the noise of the world has withered into a mere hum, where the lights are dimmer and brighter at the same time. Yes, the Hudson is definitely beautiful at night.

Callie Torres subconsciously tugged her coat tighter across her chest as she walked down the border of Manhattan; one hand intermittently grazing the frigid stainless steel of the railing. She found it serene, albeit sad - walking down here all alone. Nonetheless, she came every year.

Despite herself, the smallest of smiles tugged at the corner of her mouth when she heard the all too familiar soprano giggle of children not too far away. Her kids loved Battery Park too. Her eyes blinked through the moisture as the frosty gust hit her face in sprays.

She shot a few polite smiles at passing strangers meddling into the darkness as she moved along the pavement – only transiently wondering what they were doing here this time of night. But her curiosity was short-lived.

There it was.

The staccato of her boots against the stone slowed down as she neared the deserted pair of tourist binoculars standing there witnessing life; just like they had been doing every year, every day for a decade… and so many more.

She almost hesitantly stilled as she reached the lenses; slowly turning to face them as her stomach flipped, just like it always did.

A leather-gloved hand rose to feel the cool, foggy metal; tracing it ever so slightly with her thumb as though any sudden action would scare it away. The condensation on the glinting steel was only marginally disturbed by her fingers making tracks across the glass.

Standing there - she took it all in, the sound of rippling water hitting the rocks, her breath lingering in the atmosphere, the icy scent of water and memories.

Then she felt her vision blur with salt and cursed herself for it.

A finger grazed the fading black print and she smiled – bitter sweetly – but she smiled.

_"Quarters only"_

She chuckled, loud enough for the wind to hear, as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"D - dammit…" she whispered into the vapor as the water made warm tracks down her face, but she couldn't wipe that smile away.

She forgot her purse. _Again._

"Need some change?"

For a moment she thought she imagined the voice; nonetheless, something made her turn around.

Her eyes widened in surprise at the shadowy silhouette of the bystander. Nobody came here this time of night.

"What?" Callie brushed the tear away with a knuckle, confounded.

The woman stepped forward.

It was dark, so she couldn't entirely decipher her face.

But she had the bluest of eyes; that much, Callie could tell.

"Quarter?" the woman repeated, eyebrows rising in question, vaguely signaling to the binoculars.

"N – no" Callie breathed out hoarsely.

In the flitting shades of light, she deduced her hair was golden.

Callie sniffled; slightly sheepishly as she stepped closer to the woman out of some unexplainable urge, the whiff of tobacco hitting her immediately.

That's when she noticed the fiery end of a cigarette smoldering between long fingers.

"Are you new here?" the woman asked softly, her eyes not once leaving Callie's face.

Callie swallowed, for some reason unable to answer.

The woman knitted her brow in what Callie assumed to be confusion, but the expression passed quickly – or so she gathered when the glow of a fleeting yacht danced across her face.

She was attractive. No, she was _very _attractive.

"I only ask because I haven't seen you around" she pushed and her voice almost cracked.

Callie let out a strangled breath as she ran a hand through her hair, "No –" her eyes trained on the blonde, "- I'm not new"

The blonde smiled at that, almost forcefully, and she could have sworn she saw dimples in spite of the obscurity.

Callie let her eyes flutter over the sky and tugged her coat closer; struggling to rein in her emotions once again.

"Are you?" Callie asked out of nowhere, a little louder.

"Hmm?"

"New here…?" she completed.

Arizona licked her lips, examining the brunette, "First week" she nodded, tapping the dim butt of the cigarette, letting the ashes follow the wind.

Callie couldn't help but smile and something indescribable streamed over the blonde's face.

They both turned to look at the river in silence.

Arizona Robbins hadn't been to New York in years. She could distinctly remember her last time, right on the Hudson actually. She felt warm at the memory – but then it turned cold.

It was difficult to look away from the brunette. Notwithstanding the lack of street-lamps or her dark trench-coat, she could tell the woman was tall and well-built.

Callie Torres wasn't difficult to read; unfortunately making the sadness etched across her face terribly challenging to miss.

But why else would people be here, alone, at this time of night? Aimless. If they weren't sad.

Arizona let her eyes drink in the flowing water, fighting the arctic breeze running against it; the mist settling over the horizon. She watched the smoke swirl out of her mouth, mingle with the air and disappear into oblivion.

The sirens and worries of the city drowned out by the whistling of the wind felt tranquil, but they also made her thoughts that much louder – coming back here felt surreal and devastating and _right._

When she felt sweltering water prick her eyes, she finally stopped her mute contemplation and let her vision roam over the brunette's features; taking another drag of her smoke, she blew out slowly.

She tilted her head and scanned her, almost like a puzzle.

The woman looked tired, her dark wavy hair was somewhat disheveled, probably from the harsh blow of the wind, Arizona guessed. Her eyes were brown; she could tell that from the reflecting city-lights, they were also wet. Her nose looked red and her cheeks flushed, it was obvious she'd been crying. She seemed miserable actually - miserable and pale and exhausted. But goddamn, she was breathtaking.

"You want one?" Arizona pulled out a barely full pack of Winston filters, offering it to the quiet woman.

Callie turned around, almost surprised at the interruption.

She eyed the red and white box almost suspiciously and for a moment Arizona thought she'd accept.

"I'm good" she looked up to the blonde, smiling desolately, "I – uh – I don't smoke"

"Oh – me neither" Arizona widened her eyes, suddenly feeling the urge to defend herself.

For the first time tonight, the brunette looked like she was dragged out of her world, she raised an eyebrow in an almost haughty way and looked down at Arizona's hand.

"Well –" the blonde broke eye contact for a moment and then looked back to the woman, "- I do, but only on very rare occasions, like – when I'm stressed out or nervous or - or stressed out – " she rambled, trailing off.

Callie dug her hands deeper into her pockets, shrinking into herself to shield from the subzero gale, "So…" she narrowed her eyes, "… you're stressed out right now?"

"No – I – " Arizona laughed unexpectedly, a few erratic puffs of smoke mixing in with the temperature; she sighed, her mirth dissipating , "- it's a rare occasion" she didn't offer any more.

After another few minutes of hush, "It's cold tonight huh?" Arizona broke the quiet, putting the cigarette out with the tip of her shoe.

"Is it?" Callie responded with something akin to genuine question, "I hadn't noticed…" she wrinkled her forehead in confusion.

"Me neither…" Arizona replied softly, exhaling a huff of water-vapor.

Both their eyes chasing the distance of the river, Arizona tried yet again, "So…" she took an animated breath in, "… what's a pretty lady like you doing out here all alone this time of night?"

She angled to face the brunette, who just pursed her lips as though to still a sob and looked down to her feet; Arizona almost missed the drop of brackish water fall to the floor.

"Oh –" Arizona scoffed, she looked at Callie's profile horrified, "- please don't tell me I walked into Sleepless in Seattle or something -" she attempted to lighten the mood, looking behind them artificially, "Is – uh – am I expecting Tom Hanks to walk out here?"

Callie laughed, for the first time tonight, she looked up and laughed – and she cried.

Arizona couldn't help but take a small step away, a few dried leaves crunching beneath her feet.

"Do –" Callie chuckled breathily, turning to face the blonde head-on for the second time, "- does - do I look like Deborah Kerr to you?" she let another few tears trickle down her face as she willed her chin to stop from trembling.

Arizona looked into her eyes, and almost drowned in the depth. She was so sad.

"Well…" Arizona smiled gently and Callie's eyes fell to her mouth and back, "… I –" she licked her lips and took a glacial breath in, "- I think – I think what you meant was Meg Ryan" she said with so much principle Callie almost looked confused, but it was quickly replaced with realization, followed by a faint smile.

She sniffled.

Arizona enjoyed that sound, the laughing just now; she stuffed her hands into her jacket sleeves and took a deep breath in watching the river once more.

"How about you?" Callie asked in a small voice; she asked with more meaning than her words let on.

Arizona found she couldn't look at her, or respond; so she stared ahead, tracking a lone boat floating by.

"You waiting on Cary Grant to come swoop you off your feet?" she continued.

Arizona almost heard the woman's wit, and tucked her chin into the woolen muffler around her neck; she breathed softly, wrinkling her nose, "I think I prefer Deborah Kerr"

Callie let an unpretentious smile spread across her face, her body – she hadn't expected to smile tonight.

"And suppose she doesn't show?" Callie played, momentarily numbing the ache.

"Ahh'" Arizona eloquently offered with an off-handed wave of the hand, she smiled knowingly, "Who needs her when I've got Meg Ryan?" she laughed.

Callie laughed along and once again, Arizona found pleasure in the sound – it made her nerves tingle.

She ran a hand through knotted hair.

"I love this about New York" Arizona said simply.

"Yeah? What's that?" Callie side-glanced at the blonde, appreciating the way her jaw-line glistened in the dark.

There was a moment of silence; the air rustling nature.

"No introductions"

Those two words, the way she said them – there was no mirth, no cynicism, just simple fact.

The two women watched as the world shifted around them – as tragically as the wind blew and the lights glimmered.

Callie felt the loneliness return with a vengeance before she looked away from the blonde.

"You look upset…" Arizona said almost pragmatically, staring straight ahead, she felt her own throat close up.

Callie didn't respond.

She just let out a shaky breath, slowly raising her hand to rest on the idle binoculars.

Arizona's gaze snapped to the action and she felt her heart slow, this time, she let the salty water free.

"It was nice seeing you…" Callie breathed, barely audible.

Arizona focused ahead, on a bed of rocks somewhere in the middle of the river.

Just like that, Callie turned around and took a step in the opposite direction, then another one as she felt her legs begin to drag and her pulse race.

"Calliope…" Arizona barely whispered, with a sharp intake of wintry air.

Callie halted; it was an instinct. That voice, that word.

"Happy Anniversary" the blonde offered softly, shakily, the wind carrying her voice down the Atlantic.

Callie didn't turn around, she couldn't. Neither could Arizona, she just clutched onto the freezing railing until her knuckles turned white.

She watched the river blur right before her eyes as burning water obscured her pupils. She hadn't expected this, not now. She wasn't ready.

It had been 10 long years since Arizona last saw Callie.

"You too…" Callie choked out.

Until again, they became two strangers in a crowded city; two estranged lovers in a lonely world.

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**A/N: **What do you guys think? I was pondering whether to leave it here, as a one-shot of sorts, or to continue it. Any opinions?

Although, if I do continue it, it would be a while. Probably a month or two from now because I already have Reese's Cups going on and my finals are coming up.

Anyhow, thoughts are more than welcome :


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